"Eh, there's no one around here?" Lia uttered in surprise after the ship left the FTL zone and saw their second Exceed Shrine.
"There are many Exceed Shrines, so some without planets or space stations near them are dead. Nobody goes there."
"How did you find it?" Leo asked in surprise.
"I stole its location by hacking the previous space station," Terra said with a smile. "The security around here is too weak for me."
"Your evolution was indeed a miracle," Rei said, laughing lightly.
'Maybe Alice's ability also worked on people and living beings?' He thought curiously.
"She still hasn't woken up even though it's been five hours," Lia said with a frown. "I'll go check on her."
All four were in the ship's main control room, which was big enough with a few small cabins dug into walls, each with a bed and a kitchen inside.
Soon, Terra parked the ship on the small island of Exceed Shrine, having just enough space for a couple of ships.
"Terra, Alice is in your care. We'll go and take a look," Rei said before turning to the cabinet where Lia went to check on Alice. "Lia, let's go."
"Wait, Alice woke up," Terra informed.
…
Arriving at the shrine's entrance, they saw a strange old man with a cane. A peculiar dark blue light that didn't emit much outside coated his entire body, looking a bit creepy.
But his smile was a gentle one.
"Haha, welcome to the Exceed Shrine. Before you enter, allow me to tell you some basics."
"According to data Terra had, each Exceed Shrine has this same old man sitting at the entrance," Leo said with a curious light in his eyes. 'This surpasses the level of Artificial Intelligence.'
"Sounds like an NPC," Rei muttered," but he is clearly not."
He walked towards the old man, Alice, Lia, and Leo following him.
"You can call me Mroon. Now let's begin," Mroon said before he sat down on his small mattress and cleared his throat.
"Exceed Shrines. Even the most powerful of universe empires still can't explain this mysterious phenomenon. People can choose their first seal after entering and then gain a prefix of their seal after creating a catalyst of their choice, which grant them a unique power. Truly a wonderous phenomenon."
Pausing there, Mroon narrowed his wrinkly eyes while his eyes shone sharply, "But I could explain this phenomenon, and that's why I am here, hehuehaehuehaeheau…."
~Chill~
This sudden behavior change in Mroon caused a chill to run through everyone's spine.
Stopping his harrowingly creepy laughter, Mroon's eyes suddenly turned bright red.
In Rei's and others' eyes, Mroon suddenly became a demonic giant with a bright red sky above him.
They were stunned and frozen as Mroon continued speaking, "But there are those who know even more about Exceed Shrine than me… Yet! They Live! They live and thrive! Thriving between danger and pleasure! Roar!!
"I want to experience it, yet I can't!"
"Roarr!!"
Mroon's roar was earth-shacking as Rei and others could feel death! They trembled, feeling horror like never before!
But suddenly, everything returned to normal. Still unable to believe that they just watching an illusion. But it clearly reached their soul.
Then Rei and others saw Mroon gently smiling again as he uttered, "So, do not spread knowledge. Otherwise, you will end up like me."
~chills~
Cold sweat was pouring out of their back as they went through that experience.
"Hahaha, damn!"
Rei suddenly laughed loudly as he slapped his side thigh. "I doubt anyone would spread any knowledge after having encountered you."
"That's the intention," Mroon nodded before continuing, "Exceed Shrines are spread through the cosmos for people to become Exceeds. But, alas, It is easy to become one, but just as hard to walk on that path."
"But becoming an Exceed and rising as one is a dream of many in every corner of space," Mroon said with an encouraging smile and nodded. "Go and become Exceed. I wish you all good luck."
…
Rei and others entered the shrine, but it wasn't that complex. They just walked straight and saw an old floating book without any magical signs around it.
The book's cover had an exquisite frame but no words on it.
[ Put your hand, choose your path ]- was written on the wall behind the book in bright gold letters.
"I'll go first," Rei said, unhurriedly moving forward before putting his hand on the book's cover.
The moment he put his hand on the book's cover, it emitted sharp dark gold and black lights.
Words started appearing on the book's cover, and Rei's hand was automatically blown away from the book.
The book opened, and its pages fluttered rapidly before stopping in the middle. Those two wordless pages then gleamed as letters manifested on them.
[Adding chaos and disrupting order, for thee art becoming an Exceed.]
[Your destiny shatters upon choosing the path, for thee art becoming an Exceed. ]
[ As you have met an additional condition, you are given an extra note.]
[
[ Choose your Exceed Tree's First Seal now or later in your Exceed Rune to begin your First Seal's awakening. ]
1. ??? Joker
2. ??? Warrior
3. ??? Gazer
4. ??? Breaker
5. ??? Seer
Rei was amazed reading all that. 'Interesting.'
But then decided, "I can't choose now. I need some more information."
'Also, that extra note. What was that?' Rei thought.
"What are you seeing, Rei? That book looks the same to us except that it's now opened," Leo said as he noticed Rei could see something on those two blank pages.
"Yall try it one by one, and you will know," Rei said before backing off and laughing, "It's interesting. Also, it's better not to make a choice out of the options it presents you for now."
"Let's see what it is." Leo saw the book automatically closing and walked forward before touching it.
"Eh? What are you doing, Rei?" Alice curiously asked as she saw Rei moving his right hand in front of him and pressing something.
Lia was also wondering why Rei was moving his hand just now.
"This has surpassed the level of science by far," Rei muttered before turning to Alice, "I can see something called Exceed Runes and Exceed Tree."
In front of Rei was a magical status-like window; to the right of this window was a faint shadow of a mysterious tree with a single dot on the area of its roots.
***
Name: Rei Sereno.
Soul Name: —
Soul Rank: Exeedier
Exceed Tree: Dormant
First Seal: —
***
On the other hand, Leo's first page was the same as Rei, but his evaluation and options were vastly different, obviously.
He didn't get an extra note.
[ Choose your Exceed Tree's First Seal now or later in your Exceed Rune to begin your First Seal's awakening. ]
1. ??? Mage
2. ??? Hunter
3. ??? Bishop
4. ??? Arbiter
Leo didn't choose anything and returned, letting Alice touch the book next.
A similar phenomenon appeared in Alice as well, except…
[ As you have met an additional condition, you are given an extra note. ]